This invention relates generally to a wrist release trainer that can assist a golfer in learning how to cock, and release his wrists properly during a golf swing. Most golfers do not know how to cock their wrists in a correct manner, let alone how long to keep their wrists cocked. For many reasons, improper cocking of the wrists, and an improper release of the wrist cock leads to errant golf shots, increased golf scores, and greater golfer frustration with the game.
Most golfers fail to realize how important a proper cocking of the wrists, a proper arm extension, and a proper wrist release is to lower golf scores. Most golfers experience problems with hooking or slicing their shots, thereby missing the fairway or the green, and increasing their score. Often, these problems are caused by improper wrist action. When a golfer cocks and releases his wrists too soon during his downswing, he forces the club shaft, and, conjunctively, the club head and the striking face, to rotate. Thus, instead of the striking face contacting the golf ball with the plane of the striking face normal to the desired trajectory direction of the golf ball, the striking face contacts with the plane of the striking face being skewed with respect to the desired direction of trajectory of the ball. Because of this skewed striking configuration, the golf ball's trajectory is directed to the left or right, and away from the desired spot on the green or the fairway, resulting in a sliced or hooked shot.
Further, improper wrist action results in decreased directivity control of the shot, and decreased distance. When a golfer releases his wrists from the cocked position too early, he loses the opportunity to maximize the power in his downswing, and the speed of the club head. This is due to the flexibility present in the shaft of the golf club.
For the golfer to maximize club head speed the power in his downswing, it is necessary that the golfer keep his wrists cocked, and release them at the appropriate moment so that he may receive the benefit of the energy built up and stored in the golf club shaft, due to the flexing of the shaft during the back and downswings. Using proper wrist action will add more energy to the striking face, and thereby, to the golf ball, when it strikes the golf ball. Also, proper wrist action will result in greater control over the direction of the golf ball's trajectory.
Given these considerations, it is desirable to have a device that can monitor effectively the wrist action of the golfer during his golf swing, so that a golfer can learn the proper method of wrist action. Specifically, a device is needed to monitor the duration of the wrist cock. Preferably, such a device would be less expensive than the currently used methods for learning proper wrist action. Also, the device would offer feedback to the golfer, indicating when he should maintain his wrists in the cocked position, and when he should release them during his downswing.
There are other impediments to a proper golf swing which may also be reduced by use of the device. Improper extension of the elbows, and "cupping" (rotation of the hand about the wrist during a golf swing) of the wrists are problems common to many golfers. The desirability of the device would be increased if the device could assist in solving these problems as well. Such a device, if used properly and consistently, has the potential to teach a golfer proper wrist action, and elbow extension, resulting in lower golf scores, and to increase player enjoyment of the game.